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The McKnight Group wants to help you see the light as we continue our series about saving money with smart choices for your church remodeling or construction project.

In our prior post, we discussed maximizing your energy savings with the right method of temperature control.

Since lighting is the second-most-costly user of energy in most church buildings, in this post we will be covering ways to save energy—and money—through better lighting choices, with an emphasis on the benefits of LED lighting.

The Evolution of Electric Lighting

First, a quick overview of lighting options over the years. It all started with the traditional incandescent light bulb, first patented by Thomas Edison back in 1879. Even today’s most technologically advanced light bulbs still use 60 watts of electricity to power the highest-wattage incandescent bulb now widely available on the market.

Fluorescent light bulbs were next to appear, beginning in the early 20th century. They have become a very popular lighting option in recent years; in fact, they are the dominant light source in most buildings today. The good news, from a savings perspective, is that a fluorescent bulb that’s equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb uses only 13 watts of energy to produce the same amount of light.

Understanding LED Savings Advantages

LED stands for light-emitting diode, a technology first created for handheld calculators and similar devices in the 1960s. As with so much technology, these light sources have come a long way in the half-century since, becoming much brighter, more efficient, and affordable.

From an energy savings perspective, an LED light that’s equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb uses only 4 watts of energy to produce an equally bright light. As a result, LED lighting is typically the most efficient choice when considering lighting options for one’s church building.

There are other advantages to investing in LEDs as well. LED lighting is more durable and longer lasting than conventional incandescent or fluorescent lighting. This means you’re not going to be replacing light bulbs —which is especially important when light fixtures are installed high in the ceiling of your worship center. To that end, longer-lasting LED lighting will also help you save on the cost of hiring a lift to get someone up to replace those hard-to-reach bulbs.

Keeping Your Church Building’s Lighting Up to Date

The average LED light these days will last you about 20 years in a typical church worship center. It’s worth remembering that when those 20 years are up, chances are you’ll not only need to change out your LED bulb, but the entire lighting fixture to keep up with the latest technology.

That may sound daunting, but think about it this way: Nowadays, would you want a computer that’s 20 years old? Just as computer technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, so will lighting technology continue to advance at a rapid rate. By the time you need to replace any LED lighting you install in your new church building—or as part of a church remodeling upgrade—you’re going to want the superior level of energy savings that the latest lighting technology will provide.

New Technology, New Webinars

Part of why we share our free i3 webinars each year is to keep you up to date with these types of technologies. When it’s time to upgrade your church building or begin a new church project, we want you to know the latest information, such as how to save money with high-quality fixtures.

So, plan to sign up for our 2018 i3 webinars—which will be announced soon; visit our website to find all the latest details—and stay tuned for the next installment in this series, which will describe how to save money on structural systems for your building.

The McKnight Group Announces Completion of Remodel in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

Church of the Savior partnered with The McKnight Group to take steps toward a grand vision. This process began with Phase I which was completed in 2012.

The McKnight Group has now completed Phase II at the Church of the Savior in Nicholasville, KY. The scope of work includes a 23,133 SF building addition. Features included a 750 seat worship center, platform, lobby, café, nursery pod with six classrooms, restrooms and an audio – video booth. Also, included is the basement of 4,565 SF and a mezzanine level of 1,100 SF. The new space ties into their original building and the previous addition The McKnight Group designed and constructed in 2012.

Every church building needs appropriate children’s spaces, but sometimes it’s difficult to know the best way to create a welcoming place for children on a limited budget.

This is why we recommend color. Color offers an easy way to make these spaces in your church building stand out—yet it doesn’t have to be expensive.

When it comes to upgrading children’s spaces, you can use color in many ways, even on floors and furniture, but choosing bright, colorful paint for the walls offers an attractive and inexpensive first step toward making your children’s spaces stand out.

Color Adds Drama to Children’s Spaces

As you can see in this first picture, blocks of bright color add drama to this space for younger children. Each wall is painted in a different, vibrant color. This makes it easy to see which area of your church building belongs to the children and also coordinates easily with the brightly colored chairs and partitions.

The overall impression is cheery and welcoming for children, but it didn’t require a second round of church financing in order to create the desired effect.

Paint Speaks the Language of Youth

Color also adds drama to spaces for older children, although here you can see that we chose not to use bright primary colors. Instead, the “cool” colors and varying stripes let youth know that they’re no longer stuck in the children’s wing.

The great news is that this paint job also isn’t expensive—all you have to do is tape off sections of the wall, then paint with a contrasting color to obtain this bold effect.

You can even involve the youth in the paint job, which gives them ownership of their space and reduces the labor cost line when it comes to church financing.

Color Defines the Children’s Wing of Your Church Building

This picture shows the entrance area to the children’s wing of a church building. You can see that we’ve used paint to define the space, but it’s not as overwhelming as it might be in a space dedicated to younger children.

These colors speak to every age range, with the brighter, fuller blocks of paint reserved for the younger children’s area, as you can see on the purple wall at the end of the corridor. Again, this is a relatively inexpensive way to designate the children’s wing in your church building.

Adding Thematic Additions to Your Color Blocks

If your church financing plan allows it, you can also build upon those basic blocks of color by adding themes to your children’s spaces. The wall graphics you see here are added on top of the basic paint job, creating a playful outdoor space—indoors. Dollars are easily stretched by choosing just a few large graphics, such as the tree and the child, and sprinkling in a few bird graphics to fill out the wall space.

You can also see in the same photo that we’ve chosen a wood-look vinyl flooring which fits in well with the theme (We’ll cover more on children’s space flooring in a future post!), and even added some color to the ceiling, helping to tie the entire space together without adding a lot to the church’s budget. Props are another possibility, as you can see with the colorful, patterned awnings installed above each classroom.

Learn More About Church Financing and Design

Since we’ve been constructing church buildings for over 40 years, we’ve learned a lot about how to make children’s spaces pop without breaking the budget. To learn more about getting the most out of your church building project, visit our website, where you can sign up for our i3 webinars—absolutely free.

Many churches are looking to expand their children’s ministry to include daycare and preschool programs. It may seem an easy leap to turn children church space into facilities for daycare and preschool, but different state requirements have to be considered. In this post, we want to clearly outline these differences so that, if you’re looking to include child care or preschool in your church remodel or new building project, you won’t find yourself limited by the decisions you’ve made.

Moving Beyond Code Requirements

All building codes must be met when childcare or preschool programs are offered. We’ve discussed aspects of building code requirements in a prior blog post. Be aware that these codes cover everything from the number of bathroom fixtures to whether you must have classroom doors that lead directly outside the building. So, if your church remodel plan includes turning an old basement into a child care space for children less than 3 years old, it is not a practical proposition.

Expanding Your Church Children’s Spaces to Accommodate Child Care

In addition to code requirements, states have specific ratios for how many children you can have for each adult caregiver. For example, with newborns from 0-12 months, some states say you must have one teacher for every five kids. As children grow, that number increases. So, for example, if you want to have a preschool program with children ages 30 months-3 years, the ratio is one teacher for every eight children. With 4-5-year-old children, you can have one teacher for every 14 kids.

These ratios are important when it comes to budgeting. Say you have an existing Sunday church children’s space that you want to use for 4-5-year-old daycare during the week. One teacher on Sunday might be able to handle18 kids, but the state regulations say you must add a second teacher if you’re going to have 18 kids for child care. This means you need to budget paying two teachers instead of one for the daycare in that room.

Room size is another factor. If you’re designing a new church building or wing from scratch, it’s easy to make sure the classrooms are sized correctly—either for 14 kids and one teacher, or more than 14 with two teachers. But if you’re planning a church remodel, you might find that you’re limited in the number of children you can have in your preschool or daycare program because of available classroom sizes.

Thinking Beyond the Classrooms Themselves

There are other spaces you will need to consider if you’re looking to run a daycare or preschool. Most states require 50-60 square feet of outdoor playground area for these programs. This doesn’t mean 50-60 square feet per child enrolled, but rather 50-60 square feet per child on the playground at the same time. Elementary schools stagger recess times for different classes, and you certainly can too!

Another thing to keep in mind is that child care and preschool programs are rated by the various special programs that they offer. If you want your program to receive a higher rating, consider adding a special art room or computer lab to your church children’s spaces in your church remodel or new building design.

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider if you’re looking to incorporate daycare and preschool programs into your church children’s spaces. The best way to learn more about these spaces and other types of church remodel or new building projects is through our free i3 webinar series. Sign up today.

Healthy relationships with Christ are formed at an early age. The more ways children enjoy their time at church, the more opportunity they have to learn about God and the stronger that relationship can be. This means special planning is in order to ensure that your church building or renovation project includes effective children’s spaces in its design.

Let’s take a closer look at options and factors you should consider when designing indoor play areas for your church.

Choosing the Right Equipment for Effective Church Children’s Spaces

A well-designed indoor play area is essential. The first question to consider is whether you want the play equipment to be fixed or movable. Movable equipment allows you to easily reconfigure your church children’s spaces to meet multiple needs. It also means you can put the play equipment in storage at certain times. This option is particularly useful with younger children’s play areas, which are smaller and easier to store.

More permanent play areas, like the one pictured above, allow you to install fixed play equipment similar to those found at fast food restaurant chains. In addition to creating single-use church’s children’s spaces, this fixed equipment will require more maintenance since it needs to be regularly cleaned, inside more than out. You also should decide how many children will be using each play area at a time, because the space needed and equipment cost can vary greatly, depending on that number.

Thinking Beyond Play

In addition to play equipment, you need to think about a handful of other important elements in your indoor church children’s spaces. First are restrooms, which if included within the play area itself, can keep children safe by eliminating the need for them to go to the foyer or another building.

The second important element can be seen in the front of this picture. Smaller children will almost always want to join the older ones on the play equipment, but if that happens there’s a risk that they’ll get hurt by the older children. This toddler play area is surrounded by a half-wall that prevents toddlers from wandering into danger, while still giving them their own play territory within your indoor church children’s spaces.

Another important element is providing a sitting space for adults while children are using the play area. In the back of this picture, you can see some tables with chairs. This allows adults to remain comfortably nearby and discourages the children’s play area from being treated as a daycare, where parents bring their children to play while they leave for a meeting.

Effective Church Children’s Spaces Work for Everyone

These tables and chairs can also be useful if the play area is to be opened to the community for birthday parties or other events. As we’ve said before, this is a great way to bring people into your church. If you have a specified space adjacent to the indoor play area, like a multi-use Sunday school room, children can open gifts and have cake there, then come into the play area—in any weather—to burn off some of that sugar and excitement.

A great way to attract older children is to install games, such as Nintendo and foosball. A play area that appeals to children of many ages is a good way to keep all children safely in the church.

All of these indoor play area ideas are discussed in our free i3 webinar series. To learn more about planning effective church buildings that meet the needs of all ages, click the link on our home page and sign up today.

Psychologists tell us that kids’ moral foundations are in place by their ninth birthday. This is a good reason for church leaders to include children and their needs in the plans for a church remodel project. Beyond that, having well-designed children’s spaces makes time spent at church easier for parents and more rewarding for children.

In this post, we’ll review some of the highlights from our free i3 webinar about which important aspects to consider when creating children’s spaces.

Let the Little Children be Safe

Safety is a key consideration when creating children’s spaces. Therefore, we pay special attention when including security features in a church remodel. A security check-in desk allows parents to confidently drop their kids off in a designated children’s area. You can have a single desk in a central location that is well-secured, or a check-in desk by each classroom or group of classrooms, depending on the size and layout of your children’s area.

Here are some other safety features you might want to include in your children’s areas:

Integrated computer systems for automatic tracking when parents check their children in and out of their classrooms.

One-way glass which allows parents and church leaders to watch what’s happening in each classroom without distracting the children while they learn and play.

“Dutch doors” that allow the top part to open while the bottom stays closed—preventing little ones from leaving the classroom when the teacher’s attention is focused elsewhere. (Note that building codes allow Dutch doors only in a building with an automatic fire suppression system.)

Let the Little Children have the Space They Need

Naturally, you will need to consider the specific needs of various age groups in your church remodel plan. Nurseries typically need 25-30 square feet per child. Given that you also need changing areas, a sink, and countertops, we suggest planning each nursery for at least 15 children. (You may want to limit the number of nursery rooms because it’s harder to repurpose these classrooms if your age distribution changes as your church grows.)

You also want to think about adult needs when you plan the design of your children’s spaces. We suggest connecting a restroom to the nursery so that adult caregivers can remain close to their charges. Caregivers will need closets and cabinets for supplies, and a laundry and dishwasher room for cleaning bedding and toys.

If there’s room for it in your church remodel, we also suggest including a dedicated room for nursing mothers. This room should have closed-circuit broadcast or intercom from the worship space so nursing mothers don’t have to miss out on the sermon.

Let the Little Children Grow with Your Church Remodel

Elementary school-aged children have similar needs in their children’s spaces. Craft projects mean you still need sinks and countertops, but now some of them need to be the right height for little children. Cabinets and closets are critical to keeping supplies and dangerous objects away from curious little fingers. This age group requires less square footage per child (we recommend 20-25). Group restrooms are now appropriate, but they should still be located close by, and certainly within the secure zone you’ve created in your church remodel design.

Research shows that a person is most receptive to starting their relationship with Christ when they are a child. This is why we believe effective children’s spaces should be a consideration in every church remodel and building plan. To learn more, sign up today for our free i3 webinar series, or give us a call at 800-625-6448 to talk about your own church’s needs for children’s spaces.

One of the core beliefs we have developed in our forty-seven years of church building is that no two churches’ needs are alike. Every situation is different and every church vision is unique. In this post, we continue our renovation series with the story of two churches that wanted to attract specific groups: Trevecca Community Church of the Nazarene and Grove City Church of the Nazarene. Read on to learn how we executed purposeful church remodels that allowed each church to attract and sustain new members to their respective congregations.

Trevecca Community Church of the Nazarene

Trevecca Community Church is situated on a college campus in Nashville, so naturally, their church vision includes connecting with college students and faculty. They had an old sanctuary attached to a warehouse building that they had remodeled, and it was not meeting their needs on a number of levels. First, the platform was cluttered because they were squeezing an entire orchestra into a very small space. Second, the foyer was tiny, and third, the restrooms were far too small for the size of the worship center.

Trevecca Community Church did not have any excess land on which to expand, so we tore down the old warehouse and built an updated addition. As you can see here, we included an orchestra “pit” (which is actually at ground level) and made the raised platform in front of it portable, so the pit could be expanded or even eliminated as needed. We built new, larger restrooms and a bright, airy, welcoming foyer—four times larger than their previous one. We also added a café that is designed to attract students and give guests and members a place to gather and get to know each other.

By building a new multi-ministry room, we enabled the nearby college to use the space as a students’ chapel, as well as a venue for student concerts and other college functions. The new façade allowed for a larger, drive-under canopy, and we also installed a full-service kitchen and an entirely new children’s area.

This church renovation and addition really opened up a world of possibilities for Trevecca Community Church.

Grove City Church of the Nazarene

Not all church building transformations need to be on such a massive scale. For Grove City Church of the Nazarene, located in Grove City, Ohio—part of their vision was to draw in more children and youth. We helped them do this in several ways that really made a difference. First, as you can see on this floor plan, we built a youth building with two different platforms, one on each side. One was for children, the other for youth. This meant that the two ministries didn’t have to take down their sets every week in order for the other group to gather, let alone have to reassemble the sets without losing pieces or missing steps in the reconstruction.

Not only was that good stewardship of time, it gave the pastors and volunteers more opportunity to focus on the kids and less on tearing down and setting up.

Grove City Church also added an arcade to one side of the youth building. This was perfect because of their location: situated right across from a public high school. Opening this arcade after school gives students a safe space to play and hang out, grab something to eat from the café—and most importantly, get to know the church. Church leaders and youth group members can now more effectively build relationships with other young people at the school and help fulfill Grove City Church’s vision of bringing youth to Christ.

Over the years, the facility was remodeled several times. First, the platforms and arcade changed to appeal to the evolving preferences of teens. The children’s platform changed as new programs were developed. Later, as the church grew and built more space, the Christian school took over this room and added a wood floor. As the children moved to a new building, their platform was ripped out and bleachers for the sporting events were installed.

Helping Your Church Building Remodel Target Your Audience

As you can see from these examples, a church remodel can be designed with a specific purpose or audience in mind. One reason we share our free i3 webinar series is so church leaders like you can get a sense of the many ways that a facility can be designed to support a church’s vision. To learn more, sign up today or give us a call at 614-875-1689 to discuss your unique needs.

In our prior post, we shared the story of a church that was forced into a renovation project by the circumstances surrounding their aging church building. Fortunately, not all church renovation projects are quite as unexpected. In some cases, you can plan ahead, and create a long-term plan for a facility that will meet your needs for many years to come.

Beavercreek Church of the Nazarene

First, we’ll take a look at the smartly planned transformation we executed at Beavercreek Church of the Nazarene in Beavercreek, Ohio. This church had a worship attendance of 400 people when we first began talking with them, but they had a strong church vision and imagined a future where they would need a worship center that could seat 1000 members.

The problem with making that great a leap all at once is that 400 people in a thousand-seat space makes the worship area look empty and uninviting. The diminutive appearance of a 400-person congregation gathered in such a large space might make guests feel unwelcome—or worse—lead them to wonder why there were so many empty seats.

Our solution was to build a sanctuary large enough for Beavercreek Nazarene’s final vision while keeping the space practically-sized for their current congregation. We built classrooms and office spaces behind temporary walls in the back of the sanctuary, as you can see in the first photo. The classrooms and offices were mostly used during the week, and the sanctuary was used on Sunday.

Then, about 15 years after the initial build, their congregation had grown enough that it was time for us to begin the second stage of their church renovation. We expanded the sanctuary by removing the temporary walls, adding additional seating, and relocating the office and classroom spaces.

As you can see here, the final result is a large worship space that looks completely natural—like it was always intended to be this way.

Heritage Wesleyan Church

Another church that thought long-term with their renovation plans is Heritage Wesleyan Church in Bettendorf, Iowa. They purchased an existing building with the intention of conducting a renovation all along. In this case, the footprint and square footage of the facility remained the same. The focus of this church renovation was centered (literally) around raising the roof by ten feet. The outdated building is pictured here with small windows and a low roof. The second photo shows the updated exterior, and if you look closely, you can even see the original roofline on the right-hand side of the building.

The raising of the roof allowed Heritage Wesleyan to put the worship center on the upper floor and created a great lower-level space that could be used as a designated children’s area.

We also expanded the foyer, and the addition of huge glass windows allows for tons of natural light to flood into the building. The finished project is almost unrecognizable from the original building. With a little bit of planning, we modernized Heritage Wesleyan’s building and met their worship needs at the same time.

Embracing Flexibility with Your Church Renovation

We hope these two church renovation examples give you hope for your own church building and circumstances. As these projects illustrate, we know how to take a church vision to prayer and help guide church leaders in creating a plan that will work for their ministry’s unique situation.

If you’re in a situation where you have time to think ahead about your plans for changing your facility, you’ll find that there are many possibilities for improvement! When you need built-in flexibility, we can help you craft a creative solution that can meet your needs as they evolve. To get the conversation started, reach out to us today, either by phone (800-625-6448) or by email (request@mcknightgroup.com). And if you want further inspiration, sign up today for our free i3 webinar series.

We all like those feel-good church renovation stories, where a growing and thriving church needs more space—and church leaders have all the money and time they need to transform their church building. But in practice, things don’t always work so smoothly. In this post, we’ll tell the story of one church that was forced to change—and demonstrate how an unanticipated remodel can turn out better than anyone might have hoped!

Letting Go of the Old Church Building

Wayne Street United Methodist Church in St Marys, Ohio, was a thriving congregation that worshiped in an older, well-beloved church building. Unfortunately, that building had developed numerous structural issues over the years, and it reached the point where major corrections would have to be done to keep the old sanctuary standing. A project, church leaders learned, that would cost half a million dollars.

Suddenly, those leaders were confronted with the fact they had to undertake a major church remodel—right away. Fortunately, they were willing to think and pray about how to best use their finances to fulfill their church vision. They realized, even if they invested that much in their old sanctuary, they still wouldn’t have a facility that would be practical and large enough for their existing congregation. So they let go of their church remodel dreams for the old sanctuary.

Embracing the New with a McKnight Church Remodel

The Wayne Street UMC church leaders reached out to us, and we took a good look at their existing property, which included not just the sanctuary, but also an existing building and lawn next to their parking lot. The building had a long hallway and large, dated fellowship hall, and we realized there was enough space there for a creative church remodel that would meet their needs.

Our church remodel design, as you can see here, included a new worship center with a clear main entrance, and canopy, that doesn’t involve everyone walking down a long hallway to find the worship space. Instead, we opened the narrow hallway into the existing fellowship hall, which we updated to create a bright, airy foyer, café and gathering space. The change also improved the people flow.

Keeping Tradition Alive at Wayne Street United Methodist Church

The fellowship hall wasn’t the only area of the Wayne Street church building complex that needed improvement. Our church remodel included a bright, modern sanctuary that seats 400 people while still retaining enough of the classic feel worshipers enjoyed. We incorporated some of the stained glass from the beloved original sanctuary, as well as the organ, while including a large platform up front with room for choir and handbells.

Another practical addition we were able to include was updated restrooms—men’s, women’s, and family. So, you see, the structural issues that Wayne Street UMC faced might have felt like a crisis, but God turned it into an opportunity. With the help of this church remodel, they now have a functional, modern worship space and fellowship center that will help them live out their church vision in the decades ahead.

If you need some inspiration on how to handle your church building issues, we encourage you to sign up for our free i3 webinar series. There you’ll find information, inspiration and hope from church remodel stories like this, and from all the topics we cover on ways to improve your church building.

Church buildings that were built for a different era can put a real crimp in your ministry style. No matter how exciting your church vision and how awesome your activities, if your church building doesn’t function, or look like it will function for the people you are trying to reach, you’ll be at a disadvantage to draw those people in. But an innovative church renovation—even of just a small portion of your existing facility—can solve many challenges and update your curb appeal.

Giving an Old Church Building a Facelift

We’ll use The Bridgetown Church of Christ in Cincinnati, OH as an example that demonstrates a variety of ways a church building can improve through renovations. The Bridgetown church leaders were well aware that their church building was stuck in the 1970s. The swooping roof design and stained glass just didn’t illustrate their modern church vision. And with a congregation that was becoming younger and younger, they knew they needed an updated look.

Our solution was to expand the entryway. We opened up the structure and raised the entire ceiling, adding windows at multiple levels. This allows light to stream into the foyer, making it much more inviting. And now, the interior lights stream out from the building at night and the glow gives a warm, welcoming feel to anyone passing by. The updated façade makes the sanctuary roof seem less imposing by comparison and creates a more holistic look to the entire structure.

Incorporating a Café and Conversation Area

Another important church remodel priority for the leaders at Bridgetown was to incorporate space for fellowship. The previous foyer was cramped, dark and dated. Also, they were “making-do” for their existing café area. They had converted an unused coat closet into a café bar of sorts, but it was essentially just a row of coffee pots on a table—practical, but not very welcoming.

By expanding the entire foyer space, we made room for a designated café area that is aesthetically pleasing and functional. The extra room even allows for casual seating and conversation. The natural light flooding in from the new windows makes the café area feel warm and inviting—allowing guests to hang out with church members in comfort and get to know more about Bridgetown Church of Christ.

A portion of the church building’s original stained glass window was repurposed into an eye-catching piece of wall art. It adds a unique touch of style while preserving some of the church’s history for future generations.

Integrating Safety and Spaciousness into this Church Remodel

Another major issue for Bridgetown was their restrooms. There was no men’s facility at all on the upper, worship level—men had to go downstairs to use the restroom. And the single women’s restroom that was on the first level was very small and not accessible for handicapped users. The lack of an elevator between the two floors made things even more inconvenient for handicapped guests and members. With the same expansion of the foyer area, we created room for updated, handicap-accessible restrooms for both men and women. We also added an elevator so that everyone could easily move between both floors of this church building.

Big Changes for a Not-So-Big Budget

A big advantage of a church remodel like the one at Bridgetown Church of Christ, is that major changes were made without the need to remodel the entire church building. As you can see from the before and after photos, we didn’t change much in the worship space. Beyond a new HVAC system, a small extension of the platform, and replacing pews with chairs to provide accessible seating and flexibility—the original structure was largely unaltered. In the end, we transformed an outdated church building without a new-building-budget.

Of course, not every church remodel situation is the same. This is why we encourage you to sign up for our i3 webinar series. These free webinars give us the chance to illustrate various church remodel scenarios that meet different sets of needs. Visit our webinar page today to learn more about our upcoming presentations.